Believe
by xxravenwingxx
Summary: A collection of Athrun x Cagalli ficlets and drabbles I'm writing, based off 20 themes! (All 20 Completed)
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed does not belong to me! I wish it did, but it doesn't! So don't sue me or get mad! I will not be repeating this on every ficlet/drabble, so please note now that the only thing I own out of everything I post are the evil plot bunnies that made me write them!**

Welcome to _Believe_! Sorry that this is an info chapter, but I'll make it as quick as possible!

The stories that I'm posting here are for a challenge at the community asucaga at LiveJournal. Our challenge was to write fics/drabbles on 20 different themes that related to the Gundam Seed pairing AthrunxCagalli. They are:

1. amaranthine

2. _dakedo..._ (Japanese for "even so...")

3. shards of broken dreams

4. rainy day

5. against the world

6. _carpe diem_ (Latin for "seize the day")

7. span of a heartbeat

8. the little things

9. vestiges of dried tears

10. faint silhouette

11. trembling hands

12. spur of the moment

13. rhythm emotion

14. shooting star

15. a place to land

16. more than words

17. white noise

18. the color of the sky

19. the future reflected in your eyes

20. fields of gold

The ratings for these ficlets range from G to PG-13, and the rating is posted at the top of each entry along with the title, which theme it is, and a bit of general info. Some will be drabbles, which are only 100 words exactly, and some will be longer. So yeah. All fics are about the pairing Athrun x Cagalli, so i will only post what alternate characters appear in each story. And I will be posting in the order that I write them, not the order that they are listed!

Um, not much else to say that I can think of. So yeah, enjoy!

xxravenwingxx


	2. Angel

Title: Angel  
Theme: # 12: Rainy Day  
Rating: G  
Word Count: 100  
Other Characters/Pairings: None  
Author's Notes: fluff. very fluff. inspired by Phase 24 of Gundam Seed. So if you've seen it, it'll make even more sense to you.

* * *

The rain poured down unendingly, pounding on the sand with soft splats. A faint rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, the wind causing sheets of rain to whip into the secluded cave. 

Cagalli shivered in her sleep, tossing restlessly as the cold droplets sprayed over her. Her hair, drying from the warmth of the small fire, was frizzing ever so slightly, and the water pearled on her skin, making her seem like some mystical being.

Across the cave, Athrun smiled gently at her. She was an angel in disguise, come to save this dark world. She was his angel.

* * *

xxravenwingxx 


	3. Tears

Title: Tears

Theme: #11: Trembling Hands

Rating: PG (just because its angsy-ish. could be G, but oh well)

Word Count: 1180

Characters/Pairings: AthrunxCagalli

Author's Notes: more angsty than my last one, but with a bit of fluff too. not my best, but thats okay. sorry if it seems ramble-y. its set before the end of Gundam Seed, on the Eternal (dunno why, just picked that).

* * *

_A fragile falling light now awakens us_

_Sorrow is heard, and then from that place disappears_

Cagalli floated gently through the broad corridors of the Eternal, lost deep in her own thoughts. The drab gray of the interior of the ship hung heavily on her mood, weighing her down in the place of gravity. She sighed quietly, gripping the railing on the wall in order to turn along a hallway with a large window.

Earth shone beautifully, its vivid blue oceans contrasting sharply with the grungy green-brown mix that was land, layered over with shades of gray and white from the clouds that floated above everyone on the planet. It was so beautiful from a distance, yet there was so much hate and ugliness down there. Though space wasn't really exempt from that either.

_A roaming fate, a faint smile_

_We touch and then embrace in this moment_

She didn't notice Athrun until he was just behind her.

"Hi Cagalli," he said softly, leaning on the railing next to her, his gaze not locked on the world outside their small ship, but rather on her face. Her eyes were locked intently on the glowing planet, no sign of emotion passing over her face.

She nodded silently in acknowledgement of him, flashing only a faint smile before she returned to her internal reverie.

"Cagalli…"

_To love deeply; courage and hope_

_I feel this memory so strongly_

She sighed loudly. "What do you want Athrun?" she asked sharply, wincing slightly at her own tone. She wasn't angry with him, not really. But her anger and fear and pain leaked into her voice anyways.

"Cagalli…"

"Can you say anything but my name?" she shouted, her temper snapping and breaking free like water bursts from a dam. "If you have something to say, say it! Otherwise go away and just leave me alone!" Tears leaked past her eyelids, floating away from her face in tiny clear bubbles that sparkled as the light struck them.

"Cagalli, I—"

"You what? Have come to lecture me? Have come to rub in the fact that you can actually do something to help end this war, while I am stuck here to wait and watch like a stupid, naïve child?"

_Intertwined, heart to heart, we connect and come alive_

_"That's not—" Athrun tried to say._

_"Just leave me alone!" she snapped back, turning her head away from him as the tears kept flowing. Why was he here, of all people? She could have handled anyone else. She had become good at wearing a mask, hiding her feelings, her pain, her anger behind a still screen, hiding it from the world._

_A glittering light shines, calling us awake_ A beginning is heard, and from that place we tear ourselves away 

But Athrun…he broke down that barrier, tore down the hardened walls she had built in her mind. The daughter of Representative Athha had never been allowed to show fear, to show anger. She had had to be a model for her people, some unmoving ideal that could be admired, perfect and strong. But inside…inside she was still a small child, afraid and alone. She'd always been alone. Yes, there had been her father. She had loved him with all her heart. Yet something had always been missing. Finding Kira had gone a ways towards filling the void in her life, but something had always been missing…

Unhealing scars, solitude, and suspense I'm leaving this shaky existence far behind 

Athrun watched Cagalli, concerned at her uncharacteristic behavior. She wasn't one to snap at him, not unless he had done something wrong. And she seemed so down, as though she had fallen in a dark pit of despair and wasn't even attempted to climb back out if it. He had never seen her cry like this before. Tears of anger he had seen, tears of grief he had seen. But tears that leaked out like puss from a wound? Tears that seemed to be filled with hidden pain? He longed to reach out and brush them from her cheeks, but he was afraid. He hated to admit it to himself, but that was the truth. He was afraid. Afraid that she would reject him once again, as she had done only a moment before.

And then, a trembling finger touches my back, and I am reassured once again 

It was amazing how fighting could be so much easier than simply talking. Fighting didn't require you to bare your soul or anything about yourself. One just had to show an apathetic front, and that was that. But talking was face to face. And the kind of talking Athrun had in mind…that was even worse.

His hand trembling, he slowly reached out, using a finger to tilt Cagalli's face so she was looked at him. Her eyes gazed beyond him as she did her best to ignore him. The tears had slowed, but she was shaking ever so slightly at the effort to hold them in.

A deep despair attacks, the night has sunk into darkness 

_But if my prayers are heard, I'll believe everlastingly_

"Cagalli, look at me," he commanded gently, but firmly. A bit startled, her gaze flicked to meet his, her amber eyes locking onto his own emerald ones. A bit softer, he continued. "What is bothering you? I haven't seen you like this before, and I'm worried…"

With a certain pride in our hearts, we're being shown the way And with wings spread we'll fly away, to the strongly painted skies 

Cagalli hesitated for a moment. He was the reason for all of this. Before he had come, everything was stable. She knew who she was, where she was going. But Athrun made her feel weak inside. He made her feel as though she was no longer completely independent, unable to stand on her own through whatever may come. But…it made her wonder. Was it such a good thing to be so alone? Maybe having someone that she was forced to lean on could be a good thing?

Drawing a shuddering breath, she launched herself at Athrun, losing what little control she had left as she sobbed. "Oh Athrun, I'm sorry! It's just…" She trailed off as she cried into his shirt, tiny tear bubbles drifting off as they escaped her eyes.

A glittering light shines, calling us awake 

_An echoing is heard, and from this place we tear ourselves away_

Athrun blinked, startled, freezing for a moment as Cagalli clung to him. At last, he wrapped his arms around her, a small smile stealing across his face as he held her until she cried the last of her tears.

Cagalli gently pulled herself from Athrun's embrace at last, wiping her face as she went. Athrun smiled at her. Even though her cheeks were red and blotchy from her tears, she still looked so beautiful to him. And as she stared at him, tear bubbles floating gently around them like tiny crystals, what he had always known inside finally developed words.

"Cagalli. I love you."

_I believe everlastingly…_

* * *

Just a note. The lyrics (the italics) are from the song "Pride", which is the 2nd opening for Gundam Seed Destiny. Lyrics were translated into english by lacus at Livejournal! Thanks to her!

xxravenwingxx


	4. RoseScented Paper

Title: Rose-Scented Paper  
Theme: #5: Against the World  
Rating: PG  
Word Count: 1178  
Characters/Pairings: Cagalli and one other character (hahaha will remain unnamed just because), AthrunxCagalli  
Author's Notes: this is sort of ramble-y, and very random. but hang in there! there is AxC in there, I promise! please dont hurt me this is set after the original Seed, and semi-ignores the OVA, and does ignore Destiny, sorry for any OOC-ness

* * *

Cagalli ran her fingers through her hair, doing her best not to scream as she stalked down the deserted hallway. Those stupid, stuck up, brainless idiots! Nothing was getting done because no one was willing to get along! This was the attitude which had caused such slaughter in the first place. 

A small cluster of OMNI representatives looked at her strangely as she stormed past them, muttering among themselves as soon as she passed. Everyone here stuck to their 'own kind,' as the President of the United States had so wonderfully stated. This was almost no different than the war itself, except now guns had been replaced by words.

She slowed at last as she reached the large, interior tropical gardens that were part of the convention center that the peace talks were being held it. She breathed in the moist air with a sigh, wandering down a nearly empty path, and sitting at last along the edge of a small pond. She held her head in her hands, willing her anger to go away. She couldn't blow up at all the stubborn representatives from the Plants and the Earth Alliance countries. She had been a leading figure among those who had ended the war, and was the nominated representative for Orb. No matter how much it seemed like she was alone against the world, she had to keep fighting on for peace.

She would kill Kira later. He had vanished earlier, opting to escape the peace discussions—though they were more like arguments than discussions—rather than stay to give her a bit of emotional support.

The peace conference had been going poorly so far. Over the past week, the only thing anyone had agreed on was that they wanted peace. But some stiff-necked Earth Alliance members refused to allow Coordinators to live on Earth, wanting to preserve the "blue and pure Earth" that the Blue Cosmos fought for. And Patrick Zala, for all his disgrace, still seemed to have some supporters among the representative from the PLANTs, and especially from ZAFT. No one was willing to yield on their own demands, which resulted in the current stalemate.

And on top of it all, everyone seemed to either be fascinated—the less common reaction—or disgusted—the more common reaction—with her, since it had been leaked that she was a half-Coordinator. Very few representatives would even acknowledge here, let alone consider what she had to say.

"Why ever are people so…so stupid!" she muttered angrily to herself, pounding her fist on the ledge next to her. No one was willing to see beyond appearances to the person inside, or willing to compromise. Who you used to be, and what status you were, was all that mattered, not who you were now, or where you wanted to and intended to go. It reminded her…well, of school. Popularity was all that mattered, not who you really were on the inside.

"Representative Athha," a sharp voice said, startling Cagalli and causing her to almost fall backwards into the pond. A hand grabbing her arm saved her as she blushed and jumped to her feet to meet her addresser with surprise.

"Councilman Jule," Cagalli replied, trying to recollect her composure. She had seen Yzak Jule at a distance before, and knew of his role in the war. He had fought for ZAFT, but had turned out to be a decent guy in the end. She'd exchanged greetings with Dearka Elthman earlier, who was now Yzak's bodyguard, but not with the newly elected PLANT councilman himself. "Can I help you with something?"

Yzak nodded, looking quite uncomfortable. "Yes, Representative Athha. And…it may be better if you just call me Yzak, especially with what news I have to tell you."

Cagalli blinked. That wasn't what she had expected to hear. "Very well, Yzak. And you may call me Cagalli then. Representative Athha…it's just too formal."

Yzak smiled only barely, though Cagalli had a feeling it was more than he usually showed. "Very well Cagalli. I have come to discuss a plan proposed by Miss Lacus Clyne."

Cagalli nodded. She had known Lacus was here as well, but they hadn't had time to meet, each with opposite schedules. "And what does she need to talk to me about?"

Yzak took a deep breath, then continued. "She has a plan for a peace settlement. I've heard the details, and while I don't love it, I don't hate it. It's meant to be a compromise that hopefully even those Earth Alliance idiots will agree to."

Cagalli laughed softly. "And who else would support this plan?"

"Myself, Lacus of course, Athrun—"

"Athrun?" Cagalli asked, surprised. "The last I heard, he was on the PLANTs trying to clean up the mess his father made."

"He got here last night," Yzak replied with a frown as he watched Cagalli.

Cagalli sighed, turning away slightly. He hadn't even called her to tell her that he would be here. Come to think of it, she hadn't talked to him since they had parted ways after the war, her to return to a destroyed Orb, and him to return to fix what his father had broken. Not that she hadn't tried to contact him, but he always had been off someone, in some meeting or another.

"Cagalli, he also asked me to give you…this…" Yzak said through gritted teeth, holding out a tiny slip of paper that smelled slightly of roses. He seemed utterly disgusted to be holding it, snatching his hand back as soon as Cagalli's fingers closed around it. She unfolded it with nervous fingers, blinking at the few words written there.

Tonight at 9:00 PM on the terrace 

"That's it? That idiot!" she shouted, covering her excitement with anger. "This is all he says to me—and not even says, writes—after four months!"

Yzak smiled faintly. "Zala did want to call, you know. But he couldn't for diplomatic reasons. And trust me, it wasn't fun dealing with him these past few months. Though it was nice to see him squirm a bit." He grew more serious though as he continued. "But he is serious about you. He loves you. He sits and writes letters to you, and throws them out because they aren't perfect. So just don't kill him. As much as I don't like him, he doesn't deserve that."

Cagalli was startled. From what she'd heard from Athrun about Yzak, he didn't have a soft side at all. But it seemed that maybe his soul wasn't all black. "Thank you Yzak. And tell Lacus I'm in."

He nodded, flashing her a mock salute and a wry grin as he wandered off down the path, imitating Dearka so much that Cagalli couldn't help but giggle. But he soon passed from her thoughts as she clenched the tiny piece of paper to her chest, breathing in its sweet scent. Maybe the whole world wasn't against them. After all, she would see Athrun tonight at last. And she would be giving him a little piece of her mind.

* * *

Hmmm I personally think Yzak is a bit OOC here, but I've been told he's not, so I dont know. hehehehe but I hope you liked! 

xxravenwingxx


	5. Amaranthine

Title: Amaranthine

Theme: #1: Amaranthine

Rating: PG

Word Count: 100

Characters/Pairings: AthrunxCagalli

Author's Notes: just a little fluffy thing i wrote in my stupid computer class. pure fluff. yeah. runs off to write something with more _angst_ (dont worry, thats the next thing thats coming, is angstier!)

* * *

A stone gleamed in the faint light, its deep purple-red coloring flaring as though it were alive. Cagalli stared at it in wonder, her eyes alternating between the delicate piece of jewelry and its giver.

"You didn't need to—" she began to say in protest.

"Well, you didn't need to be there for me," Athrun replied, interrupting her with a smile. "When I saw this, I thought of you. For amaranthine also means eternally beautiful, unfading, and everlasting. It symbolizes everything that you, and that fire inside of you, mean to me. And because of that, I love you."

* * *

Another overly fluffy drabble. why cant i write angsty drabbles? or ficlets without angst? dunno. but hope you enjoyed!

xxravenwingxx


	6. Waves

Title: Waves

Theme: #15: Place to Land

Rating: PG-13 (for one strong word, and a few other mild swear words)

Word Count: 886

Characters/Pairings: Cagalli, Kira, Athrun, and a bit of Lacus; AthrunxCagalli

Author's Notes: it's angst! yay! i needed to write something angsty. can only take so much fluff. but there is minimal fluff in there, so dont worry. um, this is based of the spoilers for Gundam Seed Destiny 23, so if you dont want to know something about the spoilers, dont read. and sorry for any incorrect mecha details (not my strong point) and other tiny errors like that. i wrote this during my 1st class, after all.

* * *

"Strike Rouge, ready to go!" Cagalli stated, smiling at Lacus.

"You're clear Cagalli! Good luck!" Lacus chimed in reply as Cagalli took off from the Archangel, her thrusters kicking in as she leapt into the air in her mobile suit, the Strike Rouge.

She was seriously going to kill Yuna and Unota for their stupid decision to ally Orb with the Earth Forces! She wouldn't have to be out here fighting if it wasn't for them!

"Kira, I'm going to try to see if I can get the Orb forces to stop fighting!" she announced, trying to get her fury back under control. _Deep breath. Deep breath,_ she repeated to herself, following her mind's instructions rhythmically.

"Okay, Cagalli," he replied. "But be quick about it!"

Cagalli nodded, even though he couldn't see her. She took another deep breath, and then opened up a general broadcast line.

"Attention all Orb forces!" she announced loudly. The battle before her halted suddenly as everyone stopped to listen. Cagalli gulped nervously, then continued. "This is Cagalli Yula Athha! I demand that all Orb forces retreat immediately!"

"We are under orders from the Ruling Council of Orb!" the Orb commander replied a moment later. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that."

"But you have to!" she exclaimed angrily, her fingers gripping her controls so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

"I'm sorry. I don't even know if you're who you say you are," the commander said, his voice showing no trace of regret despite his words. "Orb forces! Ignore this girl! Continue fighting!"

The battle picked back up again as though it had never paused as Cagalli groaned in annoyance. Okay, so she couldn't confirm that she was Cagalli, but the commander should have at least given it some thought!

"Cagalli, you tried," Lacus said soothingly, trying to calm down the furious princess.

"But that didn't make them listen!" she almost screamed back. But if they wouldn't listen, then the Archangel would just have to make them stop. "Kira, let's get them!"

She shot forward, cutting down two Earth Alliance mobile suits that were in her way and heading for a ship that looked suspiciously like…the Minerva?

Cagalli stopped as a red mobile armor—no, mobile suit—dropped in front of her, hovering with its gun pointed at her.

"Cagalli. I'm sorry that we have to meet like this…" a familiar voice said mournfully.

Cagalli gasped, startled. She had thought that he had gone back to the PLANTs, not the Minerva! And where the hell had he gotten that mobile suit? "Athrun? What the fuck are you doing out here, you idiot?"

He sighed. "I tried to contact you. I really did. But I never called when you were free to take my call. I'm now a member of FAITH, and I'm trying to stop this war."

Cagalli sneered. "Oh yeah. You're _really_ stopping the war. More like causing it."

"Well, why is Orb with the Earth Alliance then, Miss Representative?"

She sputtered angrily for a second, unable to think of a good comeback. "You…why you…gah!"

Athrun laughed softly. "Calm down, my princess. No need to get so angry."

"No need to get angry? No need to get ANGRY?" she said incredulously, her voice rising as she spoke. "What is there to get angry about? Maybe the fact that Orb's joined the Earth Alliance and there's nothing I can do about it? Maybe the fact that you've basically betrayed me and gone back to ZAFT? Oh yes, there's nothing to get angry about."

"Cagalli, now don't start—"

"Don't waste your breath! I've started, just like this war has started, and it's going to take a lot to make this stop!" she screamed at him, unshed tears gleaming in her eyes. "I turn my back on you for one second, let you go on a small trip to the PLANTs, and you leave me without even a word! You idiot!"

"You were going to marry Yuna," Athrun replied dangerously. "How do you think I felt? The girl I…I loved…marrying that…that fancy, stuck-up, purple-haired pansy!"

Cagalli froze. "The girl you love?" she asked softly. "You've never…said that before…"

Athrun glared at her, his own temper finally flaring. "No, I haven't. But I just said it now, didn't I? And I'm sure it means nothing to you, since I'm just a betrayer who rejoined ZAFT to help stop the war that could destroy your country all over again. But no, you wouldn't care, would you?"

"Athrun—"

"Cagalli!" Kira shouted, the Freedom appearing besides her. "What the heck are you doing? You're a sitting duck out here! I'm surprised that no one's shot you down by now! And what are you doing, by the way? And who's the pilot of that mobile suit?"

"Athrun is. We were…talking," Cagalli said faintly.

"Athrun?" Kira asked, surprised. "Is that really you?"

"It is, Kira."

"I regret that we have to fight again, Athrun. I had hoped that we wouldn't, but destiny can't seem to take its hands off us," Kira said regretfully.

Cagalli sighed, turning away. The ocean sparkled beneath her, land nowhere in sight. It reminded her of her own life. She was lost in the middle of the waves of war, hate, and grief, with no place to escape, no place to land.

* * *

And thank you to those who reviewed! And just a note! **prettynutter** mentioned in her comment that she liked how i was posting other peoples stories. I just want to clear up that these are not other peoples stuff. that would be mean. no, this is **my own writing**. i dont want anyone coming after me because of this. -cowers- but anyways, thanks!

xxravenwingxx


	7. Impress

Title: Impress

Theme: #2 Dakedo... (Japanese for "even so...")

Rating: G

Word Count: 100

Character/Pairing: Athrun x Cagalli

Author's Notes: it's a bit AU, because I don't know how true my idea is. Not true I'm sure. And I don't like this, but I've deprived you all for so long, so I decided to post anyways.

* * *

Cagalli sighed wearily, laying down on her back in the lush grass. "Dakedo…" she murmured quietly.

Athrun blinked. "Since when do you know Japanese?" he questioned.

Cagalli stared at him for a moment before blushing deeply. "Um…" she stammered, her mind searching for a good excuse.

Athrun only laughed. "I didn't think you knew I spoke Japanese," he commented lightly.

"Well…Kisaka found out," she admitted at last. "I wanted to learn it to impress you..." She turned her face away, embarrassed, looking back when she felt a hand on her arm.

He leaned close to her, smiling. "I am impressed."

* * *

wow was that ever lame. blah. i have no idea where it came from, but i decided that its been so long that I needed to post something, if only a piece of crap for you all to flame. -yes, i really dont like it- But i'm all done with all my work for the term in my 1st block class, which is a computer class, so i have the four days this week to probably get some more done. so hopefully I shall be updating soon!

And sorry for the lack of updates. being a sophomore sucks. and AP classes suck too. but my AP Euro class is done this week, so i'll only have the AP test in May to study for, so hopefully i'll have a bit more time! thanks for sticking with me!

xxravenwingxx


	8. Renaissance

Title: Renaissance

Theme: #16 More than Words

Rating: PG-13 (for nudity in paintings and impliedsexual themes)

Word Count: 1,757

Other Characters/Pairings: Miriallia, Dearka, Yzak, Kira, Lacus, and various OCs; a tiny bit of implied KL

Author's Notes: This was written when I was procrastinating on studying for my AP European History final. Therefore I have way too many references to Renaissance art, since that was something I desperately needed to study. Picked more common paintings though. But this is based off the day we actually reviewed Renaissance art, and based off our evil 4 floor school. Hehehehe it's a bit rambly, and not as Asucaga as one may hope, but its still there. Just hang on for a bit for it

* * *

Cagalli groaned as she dragged herself up what had to be five billion steps up to the fourth floor, complaining non-stop under her breath about the evil nature of stairs. Why oh why did she have to go to a high school with _four_ floors instead of like one or two? And why did they have the stupid forum room on the fourth floor rather than the first? 

She was gasping by the time she climbed the very last step, her legs burning from the effort, feeling like overcooked noodles as she leaned against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. The teacher for her second block class had left a note on the door of their classroom—which, of course, was on the first floor—telling everyone to report to the fourth floor forum room, though Cagalli had no clue why.

She huffed angrily to herself as she stomped through the packed halls, not really paying attention to whom she was pushing out of the way. She was such an idiot for taking this class. Who in their right mind would ever want to take a class—and a college level AP one at that—on European History? She couldn't remember exactly how Athrun and the others had dragged her into it—though it might have been the fact that she wasn't going to let even Dearka take the class and show her up—but they were going to pay!

With the scowl fixed almost permanently on her face, she stormed into the forum room, flinging the door open behind her as she entered the large, dimly lit room. She was the last of her friends here, not even bothering to smile as she plopped down next to Miriallia, as far from Athrun as she could get. Miriallia smiled at her, recognizing her mood as a bad one, meaning one should get as far away as humanly possible to avoid any serious injuries.

"Bad day?" she asked softly, trying to ignore the stares of their other classmates, who still hadn't gotten used to Cagalli's temper.

"Tell me about it," Cagalli muttered back, dumping her heavy, evil European history book, A History of the Modern World by R. R. Palmer, whom she had been told to love, on the small table in front of her, and stared intently at the screen, ignoring the glances she got from the others.

Athrun was looking quite pleading, but Cagalli ignored him more determinedly than the others. He was why she was in this class! Kira, who sat next to him, was just shaking his head, and Lacus was doing her best not to giggle. But at least she attempted to maintain her composure, as where Yzak looked almost angrier than Cagalli, and Dearka was silently laughing hysterically. She'd kill him too for laughing at her!

Cagalli opened her mouth to snap at Dearka, but she was cut off by the arrival of the two European History teachers, Ms. Rudall and Mr. Prond. Ms Rudall, to all of their surprise, actually looked remotely happy today. Cagalli's stomach sank. Oh great. Now what?

"Since we are currently studying the Renaissance, and because art was such a crucial part of this fantastic movement, today we will focus on the various works of art and architecture from the Renaissance period!" Ms. Rudall announced almost excitedly, a wonder coming from her. The class just groaned, Cagalli joining in heartily.

"And we want to warn you. There will be no…_inappropriate_ actions allowed during today's presentation. Understood?" Mr. Prond continued.

The class only grumbled in return, with Dearka grinning like a madman. The guy was such a loser, Cagalli thought. She wasn't quite sure what Mr. Prond's warning had been about, but it couldn't be worse than climbing up all the stairs. Could it?

The few lights that remained on in the large room were turned out as a large overhead projector was turned on, showing a picture of a large cathedral. Cagalli groaned silently. _Boring_, she thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she resisted the urge to put her head down and sleep. She yawned as Ms. Rudall droned on and on, dozing off somewhat with her head on her hand. She blinked every few seconds to try to force her to stay awake, but was fighting a losing battle until she heard soft, though nervous, giggles erupt from the entire room. Her head swung up to stare blurrily at the screen as she squinted, and then drew back, blushing, when she finally saw what was on it.

"And this is the famous statue 'David' by Michelangelo," Ms. Rudall was explaining as Cagalli quickly diverted her eyes. That statue was _naked_! She hadn't thought they could show those kinds of things in school! Her cheeks stained with red, she glanced at the rest of her friends. Miriallia was staring quite persistently at the face of the picture, her cheeks rosy as well. Dearka was smirking, and Yzak was scowling. Lacus looked extremely flustered and unsure of where to look, and Kira and Athrun were blushing as well.

Mr. Prond interrupted Ms. Rudall, glaring at the class, and especially at Dearka, who was infamous for his sarcastic remarks, smart-ass comments, and cocky attitude. "Now, I want you all to be mature adults and handle this with dignity. Many of the statues and paintings, as you can see, contain nudity. So please, let's not make a fuss about it, right Dearka?"

Dearka smirked again, trying to look innocent. "Right Mr. Prond," he responded politely, sticking out his tongue and rolling his eyes as soon as the teacher's back was turned.

"Anyways," Ms. Rudall continued, "back to 'David.' It was sculpted from 1501 to 1504, and portrays a scene of David from the Bible. Notice the s-curve of his body, which was a feature of Renaissance art. Instead of the unnatural straightness of medieval art, this pose is much more natural, and portrays the new confidence in human power and beauty that came into existence at the time. The nudity itself portrays the rebellion against the extreme religion attitude of the pre-Renaissance times. This shows more than words ever could the revival of real, expressive art, as opposed to the previous art which portrayed humans as week and needing God to save them all. And notice how much detail was put into all parts, even certain parts of his anatomy that normally would be have been shown, and were certainly not accepted before these times. It is truly fascinating."

Cagalli tried to follow along with what her teacher was saying, but her eyes kept drifting slowly down no matter how much she repeated '_Look at the face! Look at the face!_' to herself. Thought it made her wonder what Athrun…'_No! No! Mind out of the gutters! Out of the gutters! Bad Cagalli! Baaaaad Cagalli!_' she scolded herself quickly, turning even redder even though no one but herself knew what she was thinking. No, she couldn't let her mind go there. They were just dating, not…doing other things…

"Next we have 'The Birth of Venus' by Botticelli," Ms. Rudall began again, changing the slide and snapping Cagalli from her thoughts. She looked carefully at this painting, wincing away from the blatant nudity of the main subject, a woman this time. These Renaissance people really needed a new hobby or something. Cagalli rolled her eyes at Dearka who, being the pervert he was, seemed quite interested. Athrun and Kira, on the other hand, looked like a pair of lobsters that had blue and brown wigs tossed on. But even though Cagalli was embarrassed, she still managed a smile as Ms. Rudall launched on a lecture about the rise of paganism. Maybe AP Euro wouldn't be quite as boring as she'd thought.

* * *

Cagalli stretched as the bell rang, thankful that this class was over. A few people hadn't been able to keep from giggling throughout the rest of the presentation and had been sent to the office, and many of the slides had made them all blush. And they had to memorize all of these paintings too, for the test tomorrow. She glanced at her almost blank study guide, cursing herself for not writing anything down. That had been stupid. But she could steal answers from the others at lunch, as long as they had written stuff down too. 

"So, what did you all think of that?" Dearka drawled, as followed Miriallia and Cagalli out of the forum room, joining them in a little cluster on the side of the hall, where they were soon joined by the others.

"It was…interesting…" Miriallia replied uncertainly, blushing a bit. "Educational, but…interesting."

Dearka laughed. "You people are all so ashamed. I thought it was quite educational in more ways than just Renaissance history."

"Pervert," Miriallia replied, hitting him lightly on the head with her biology book.

He rubbed his head, still managing a smirk. "Hey, I can't help it if I have hormones."

Miriallia just rolled her eyes, looking at Cagalli for backup.

"Why don't we just go to lunch?" Cagalli asked sharply. "You all know how busy first lunch gets if you don't go right away." Food always could distract guys. It was a sure bet.

Yzak set off without a word, leaving Dearka to chase after him after flashing one of his most charming grins back. Miriallia just shook her head as Lacus giggled.

"Kira and I have math, so we'll see you later!" she said with a sweet smile, gently dragging Kira away as she began to chat quietly with him. That left Cagalli, Athrun, and Miriallia.

"I think you should be following your own advice," Athrun teased gently. "Don't you think?"

Cagalli sighed. She wasn't really still mad at him for making her take the AP class. She probably would've taken it anyways, but it was just that she balked when others wanted her to. Just that rebellion spirit, she supposed. "Fine then," she replied with a smile as she started off, surprised when Palmer suddenly disappeared from her arms. She looked to see Athrun standing there holding it with a grin. "I had it! I'm not some delicate lady who needs others to hold her things!" she snapped defensively.

Athrun shrugged. "Hey, I was just thinking that I could help you out. Show you how much I appreciate you."

Cagalli blinked, blushing lightly. Athrun rarely stated those kinds of things in public, so she was touched. "Thank you," she said softly with a smile.

* * *

Still have a lot to go, so I promise I'll work on it, since my final is today in like 30 minutes and after I'll have very little excuse to procrastinate. And for reviewers: 

**Ace of 7Spades:** hehe thanks. And I did make this longer, so I hope you're happy. I usually write a bit longer than 100 words, but I wanted to get something, anything up, but this kind of makes up for it. And I prefer the English names because I cant watch the bitTorrent so I've never really heard the Japanese names, and plus I don't speak any Japanese (or very little, rather)

And thank you to **Asga**, **Djablesse**, **MissKT**, **farhancharizard**, **prettynutter**, **sworDieXeQtion**, **Skweeshy**, **bLiTzRyUu**, and **C-town Chica** for reviewing all of my various stories so far! I really appreciate it!

xxravenwingxx


	9. If You Wish Upon a Star

Title: If You Wish Upon a Star

Theme: #14 Shooting Star

Rating: G

Word Count: 100

Other Characters: None

Author's Note: Just a bit of fluff written at way too early in the morning during school. Not my favorite, but still sort of cute I suppose. But anyways.

* * *

"If you wish upon a star…" Cagalli hummed softly to herself, staring at the dark starry sky above her. She had never believed that, but it couldn't hurt to try. She blushed a little bit, embarrassed at the immaturity of wishing on a star, but stared up at the sky anyways. She blinked as a star shot across the sky. Shooting stars were supposed to be even luckier. She ducked her head silently, staring across the open field. _My wish_…she pondered. It wasn't very hard, really. She only wished for the end of the war…and for Athrun to come back.

* * *

Yeah, its short. But it is a drabble after all, and i can do a lot more of those quickly than I can longer. But I'm on a roll. Go me! only 12 more to go -blah-

and thank you to **xxlilvietgurlxx**, **MissKT**, and **Ayame Keiji the Penguin Queen** for reviewing!

xxravenwingxx


	10. Game, Set, Match

Title: Game, Set, Match

Theme: # 12 Spur of the Moment

Rating: PG (for like one bad word)

Word Count: 512

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Notes: Wow I'm on a roll. Hehehehehe my AP class is all done, and so now I have so much free time that I'm writing! Now, I'm such a tennis obsesso, so that's where this came from. A bit of fluff I suppose. Not my favorite, but good enough.

* * *

"Cagalli! Wait up!" Athrun called as he weaved his way through the crowd, trying to follow the distant form that was Cagalli. "Where are you going?"

She glanced back at him with a grin. "I'm not telling!" she hollered back with a bit of a giggle, darting out of the mob and across the large empty soccer fields that were adjacent to the street.

Athrun sighed wearily, breaking free from the mass of people at last and taking off after her at a run. He slowly gained ground on her as she glanced back every few feet, laughing. She knew better than to just run off on her own, being the leader of Orb. He couldn't blame her for wanting to take a break from her paperwork and get away and have some fun, but she shouldn't be doing it on her own.

He had almost caught up to her when she turned sharply, ducking through the sparse trees, which were still missing their leaves from the winter that had just ended. He sighed again, a bit frustrated at her unwillingness to listen to reason, following anyways. Even though he loved her for her fiery spirit, sometimes it could be a bit annoying.

Finally she slowed to a stop, causing Athrun to nearly run into her as he ground to a halt as well, staring at what was before them.

The light breeze scrapped a stray, crinkled, dead leaf that had survived the winter across the bare concrete of the two empty tennis courts. A small shed stood open next to them, with a few tennis racquets and a carton of balls visible. Cagalli ran over, pulling out the bright green balls and two racquets, tossing one to Athrun, who caught it, confused.

"What the…" he began.

"Shush!" Cagalli scolded in return, darting onto the courts with a smile. "It's sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing. I needed a break, and I figured tennis was something I could hopefully kick your ass in."

Athrun smiled slightly. She always tried to beat him in everything, but since he was a Coordinator, he usually succeeded whether he had had any experience or not. "Very well. What is in it for the winner?" he asked as an idea came to mind.

Cagalli shrugged. "I'll leave it for me to decide when I win."

Athrun laughed softly. "I won't go easy on you."

"Same here!" Cagalli shouted back challengingly! "Let's get on with this!"

* * *

2 sets later (**1**) a triumphant Athrun was grinning at a defeated Cagalli, who wasn't being a very gracious winner, considering she'd thrown her racquet over the fence and been stomping around for the past few minutes. She was always overly competitive, and normally he would leave her alone to let her cool off. But he had his prize to dictate.

"Cagalli!" he called.

She glared at him, storming over in a huff. "What?" she snapped.

"My prize?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like I care!"

Athrun smiled slightly. "Maybe you will now," he said before leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

(**1**): In tennis, a set is a larger unit of measuring. You must win 6 games, consisting of winning at least 4 points and winning by two, and win by 2 to win a set. In this match, it was the best of 3. (i'm such a bad explainer. if you really dont get it, you might want to just look it up)

So theres that. thats 9 of 20 done! yay! almost halfway there.

Thanks to **C-town Chica**,** vietnamesegurl**, **Ayame Keiji the Penguin Queen**, **xxlilveitgurlxx**, **tennisprincess15**, and **asga** for reviewing!

**C-town Chica**: I wrote the Wish Upon a Star one thinking of Destiny, but it works with either, so take your pick!

thanks everyone!

xxravenwingxx


	11. Insane

Title: Insane

Theme: #17 White Noise

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 544

Other Characters/Pairings: small section with Lunamaria

Author's Notes: -sighs happily- I like writing angst a lot more than fluff. Don't know why, but I do. So this is a nice load of angst for you all. Don't want to give anything away though, so I'll just shut up now and let you read it. Haha.

* * *

I gently finger the tiny picture, absently rubbing any smudge I can find away with my finger as I fight to keep my mind off of the lone person in featured there.

But my mind wants, craves, needs answers. Why? Why did you have to be so damn valiant? I would have wished you to be a coward. I would have still loved you just as much. But you had to jump in, saving her life by sacrificing your own.

Why couldn't you have been selfish enough not to help her out? I know you would be angry at me for thinking such thoughts, but I too am selfish. I didn't want to lose you, not now, not ever. But fate can be so cruel.

She offered her thanks for your sacrifice to me. She showed me her tears, and I could sense her own grief and guilt. Lunamaria mourns you as well, but she never really knew you. I shared my life, my soul, my everything with you. Our relationship was more than kisses and fabulous sex. It went beyond the physical level to the emotional one. You were my pillar of strength, helping me to resist the pressures of my opponents. You were the cooling water that helped to put out my heated temper. You were the shoulder I could cry on when things were dark and bleak. You were the only thing keeping me sane. And now you're gone.

I don't know what I'm to do now that you're gone. Your funeral is tomorrow, and I don't know how I'll survive it. Our few friends who've survived this long, long war—Lacus, Miriallia, and Yzak only—will be there, but they can't help heal my broken heart. Because now you're gone, and have joined Nicol, Dearka, Kira, and all the others we've seen die over the years beyond death.

I think I must be going crazy now, because I find myself unable to hear the real world, unable to discern one sound from the next. They all blend together as white noise, distancing me from the world I live in. I don't hear the birds chirp. I don't hear the phone ring. I'm almost in my own world, my world of grief and pain, alone.

They say grief can make you crazy, insane. I never was what you would call insane before, but now I'm not so sure. I find myself almost wishing for insanity. Why? Because it would be an escape, an escape from this world without you. I could at least think that you were still with me, even if that was not the reality.

Or there is another option. I can see the gun from where I stand. It would be so easy to pull the trigger and end this all. You would've told me to take the high road, not the easy road. But you're gone now, and my own life is as good as gone. Why shouldn't I follow you?

My hesitation is gone now. I'll be coming, just wait. I drop the picture, ignoring the shattered glass that is the result. My fingers slowly curl around the cold metal of the gun as my lips curve into a faint smile. I'm coming Athrun, I'm coming.

* * *

Yes, angst. Angst is good. Very good. -attempts to brainwash people into thinking so- and it may seem sort of random, but i was trying to follow her thought process. humans rarely think in logical order (or at least i dont).

halfway done! Hurrah!

**Princess Lady Subaru**: -hoards cookies and munches- hehe thank you! hehehe but even though high school is hard (and sucks) it does provide for some amusing stories.

**Ayame Keiji the Penguin Queen**: well, actually, it depends where you look and who you talk to. in the official stats for Cagalli in Destiny, she's labeled a Natural. Yet she went into Seed mode in Phase 49 of the original Seed. I just chose to go with the Natural point of view for the last story because it worked a bit better.

Thank you also to **MissKT**and**vietnamesegurl** for reviewing! I really appreciate it! -gives hugs-

xxravenwingxx


	12. Blue to Fool

Title: Blue to Fool

Theme: #18 The Color of the Sky

Rating: G

Word Count: 100

Other Characters/Pairings: none

Author's Notes: Very random, very not good, but oh well. Its better than nothing. and its not angst, so you can get my nice dose of angst from last update out of your system.

* * *

I'd always wondered why the sky seemed so blue. I know that it was only an illusion, explained scientifically, hiding the black of space. When I lived on the PLANTs, we were taught to always think of it as black, not blue. The blue was only there to fool and distract us. I had gone along with this, until I met you. 

You looked at the sky as more than a trick, more than fake. You saw it as a symbol of hope, a sign that humankind was not wholly evil. You changed my perspective, and I am forever grateful.

* * *

yup, its short. Sorry for that, but i've been busy today.

**Ace of 7Spades**: Hehehehe thats okay. There are actually a few that do use the Japanese names, but I think that because we're all writing in English, we tend to use the English names more. Hehehe but thanks. And they did die. I swear. They're not coming back (at least in that fic. but they'll be back in the next, unrelated one)

**Princess Lady Subaru**: hehe that actually wasnt based off any OAV. Its just my theory on what would happen if the war in Destiny never ends like I'm sure it will in the real series. There is an OAV for Seed, but my story is unrelated.

and thank you to **xxlilvietgurlxx**, **The Angels' Princess**, and **asga** for reviewing as well! I really appreciate it!

xxravenwingxx


	13. Span of a Heartbeat

Title: "Span of a Heartbeat"

Theme: #17 Span of a Heartbeat

Rating: PG

Word Count: 252

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: Based off Phase 48. Gundam Seed always cuts things off when you want to see more of what happened. So here's my fluff version of an extended scene.

* * *

"No, he's definitely younger!" Cagalli replied forcefully.

Athrun grinned faintly. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, somewhat amused. Suddenly, on impulse, he grabbed Cagalli's arm, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm pretty lucky to have met you," he murmured.

"A-Athrun?" Cagalli stuttered as Athrun drew back.

"You and I can protect each other," he said softly as they both leaned in, lips meeting.

The kiss lasted no longer than the span of a heartbeat, but it seemed to go on forever, a perfect meeting of two who had been alone for too long, two who had finally found the elusive emotion called love in each other. Athrun had known he had felt something for the fiery blonde, but until this moment he hadn't been sure it was true love. But now he was sure.

They broke apart after what seemed to be an eternity, both blushing deeply.

"Umm…" Cagalli mumbled, unsure of what to do next.

Athrun smiled sadly. "We'd better get to our machines," he said, forcing himself to turn. He wished he could stay here with her forever, but duty beckoned. "I'll…see you on the battlefield."

He heard Cagalli draw a shuddering breath as he pushed away from her, floating slowly away. But a moment later her voice was strong as she boastfully proclaimed how she was going to kick more butt than him. Athrun chuckled faintly to himself as the doors closed behind him, cutting Cagalli off. They would see who was going to kick more butt.

* * *

-yawns- if anyone ever tells you to voluntarily go to school at 6:30 in the morning for AP review sessions, be smart and tell them to STFU. though i suppose Euro review sessions are only voluntary in name...-sigh- so blame that for my lack of updates. usually school starts at 7:30, which is still way too fricking early, but i dont even get up until 6:30 for regular school, let alone be ready for school. i've written 15 of the 20 and am on number 16, but i havent had time to type them. but hopefully i'll be posting more than one today. we'll see how productive I am. -hahaha yeah right-

um, lets see. reviewers. Thanks to **MissKT**, **Ayama Keiji the Penguin Queen**, and **Attharun Leonheartilly** for reviewing! Its all your reviews that keep me from procrastinating for days and days. hahahahaha because i'm good at procrastinating.

yeah, i'll be quiet now and go type some of my other things i've written before you all kill me for procrastinating. hehe.

xxravenwingxx


	14. Cabin

Title: Cabin

Theme: #20 Fields of Gold

Rating: PG

Word Count: 817

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: Yes, I do live in Minneapolis. Yes, I do have a cabin on the border of Iowa and Minnesota (its just over the border into Iowa). So this is written out of my own experiences. I don't like, but I'll post anyways. And the ugly stadium bit? Just a bit of hatred for the ugly Metrodome. -smirk-

* * *

"Why the hell are we going to _Minneapolis_ of all places? Where is it anyways? The middle of nowhere?" Cagalli complained as she stared out of the window of the small plane at the approaching city, with its skyscrapers and ugly white-domed sports stadium. 

Athrun smiled. "Believe it or not, but it turns out my family owns a cabin about three hours away from here, and I thought it would be a nice break from running Orb."

Cagalli stared at him like he was mad. "You mean we flew all the way here just to visit some little cabin in the middle of nowhere?"

Athrun blushed slightly. "It's not really in the middle of nowhere…"

"_Sure_ its not," Cagalli muttered sarcastically, returning her gaze to the window as the plane continued its descent.

Athrun sighed. Cagalli could be so stubborn, and half of why she was mad at him was that he had almost literally dragged her away from the stacks of paperwork she had yet to do. But maybe she'd warm up to the idea once they got to the cabin. He could only hope.

* * *

Cagalli was still pissed off as they drove through the never-ending corn and bean fields. It was past harvest with the corn now a dry yellow, making the fields a golden color rather than green. These fields had been really the only things to look at in the past hours they'd been driving, with the exception of the occasional town. 

"Not in the middle of nowhere. _Right_," Cagalli grumped for the millionth time, staring out the window as the fields flickered by.

Athrun sighed as they turned onto what he hoped was the Minnesota-Iowa border. He'd only been here once before, when he was young, but he was pretty sure this was the right road. He held his breath as sighs flashed by, smiling with relief when he saw the one he was looking for. It was hard to see in the quickly dimming light, but it was the one.

"We're almost there," he said quietly as they turned onto the rough, bumpy dirt road, both of them being jostled by the rough surface they were driving on. Cagalli grumbled as she hung on for her life. A faint cloud of dust floated in their wake, wafting over the dead fields on either side of the road. They drove for a minute in silence before seeing the first cabin. Cagalli looked at it with a mixture of interest and disdain as Athrun fought to hide a chuckle. The car slowly cruised by it, with cabin after cabin flashing by, until they reached number 32. It was getting too dark to see it closely, but it was small, only one story, with a small garage across the road.

"And welcome to the humble Zala cabin," Athrun announced as he parked, waving his hand grandly. Cagalli sniffed, still angry, as she stomped out of the car and over to the cabin, walking around to the side with the door, which faced the lake, disappearing. Athrun groaned. Now he had to carry all of the luggage in. Wonderful.

* * *

Athrun was sweating by the time he had carried all their things into the cabin, rubbing his arm, which had been whacked several times by that stupid screen door. 

"I brought everything in!" he called, his voice echoing as he searched through the small cabin, looking for the fiery blond. But nobody was to be found. Frowning, he stepped outside, wincing as the door slammed shut behind him. Gazing at the lake, which was now dark except where glimmers of moonlight were reflected, his eyes noticed a dark figure sitting on the edge of their dock. A small smile on his face, he made his way as quietly as he could down the rough planks that made up the dock. But he wasn't surprised when Cagalli acknowledged his as he sat nest to her, dangling his own feet over the edge and draping a blanket over both of them.

Cagalli sighed, leaning her head wearily on Athrun's shoulder. She mumbled something inaudibly into his shirt.

"What?" he questioned.

Cagalli lifted her head for a moment to look at him. "Thank you," she responded softly. "You were right. I did need this. So thanks." She returned her head to his shoulder, staring back out across the calm lake to the twinkling lights of houses across Spirit Lake.

Athrun chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around Cagalli and drawing her closer. This lake was well named. It truly did revive weary spirits such as Cagalli's and his own. He felt like he belonged here, and as though he could be at peace, rather than ever watchful and distrustful as a bodyguard had to be. This had been a good idea. "You're welcome," he whispered as he gave her a tiny hug. "You're welcome."

* * *

-yawn- am so tired. be happy you people got anything, seeing as I got to school at 6:30 yesterday morning, and didnt come home from school/school related things until 9 last night. But i was nice enough to write. 

actually have all the themes written, amazingly. its just a matter of typing them. this was lucky number 13, so maybe i'll get more done tonight.

And thanks to all reviewers! I'm too lazy to list you all, but thanks a lot! you're what keeps me going!

xxravenwingxx


	15. Seize the Day

Title: Seize the Day

Theme: # 6 Carpe Diem (Latin for "seize the day")

Rating: PG

Word Count: 100

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: A bit of fluff-ish-ness from Cagalli's POV. Yeah. Written during health, which is probably why its not the greatest. But oh well.

* * *

Carpe diem. Seize the day. The motto I've always strived to live my life by. The motto that has helped me to be who I am. After all, I had that principle in mind when I piloted a Skygrasper and crashed, meeting Athrun. It caused me to go into space. It caused me to be in the cockpit of the Strike Rouge in the battle of Jachin Due when it mattered. My motto saved a life—Athrun's. That fool was willing to throw away his life when I could help save him. But I told him to seize the day.

* * *

yes, it was a very short drabble. drabbles are easier to write. they just require inspiration, not a full-blown plot bunny. hehehe but this is two in one day! hurrah! only 6 more to go!

xxravenwingxx


	16. Last Goodbye

Title: Last Goodbye

Theme: #9 Vestiges of Dried Tears

Rating: PG

Word Count: 337

Other Characters/Pairings: Miriallia; mention of Yzak, Lacus, Kira, Dearka, Tolle, Mwu, and Natarle

Author's Note: This is a follow-up story to "Insane." Decided to write two 'sequels,' one happy, one sad. This is the sad ending. From Miriallia's point of view.

* * *

Miriallia stood, the breeze rustling her skirt, her hair blowing back from her bowed face. Her eyes were red from tears, her mascara smeared, her tears, which she had mostly under control, now dried into crusted trails. She futilely wiped at her face, only succeeding in smearing wetness and black makeup further across her cheekbones.

So many had died since the first war began. First Tolle, then Commander La Flaga and Lieutenant Badgiruel. After the war she'd become a photographer, helping to show the horrors of war. Cagalli and Athrun had helped out, and in return she'd captured more than a few of the moments between them. The little touches, the looks. She'd captured many on film. It was a wonder the two had never actually married.

But then again, the second war had broken out before they could, and the two had separated. The war had dragged on and on. Kira and Dearka had both been killed in the past years, along with hundreds of thousands of others. Those funerals had been hard, but in a way this one was the hardest. Only herself, Lacus, and Yzak were left of those who had attended the funeral, the only ones of those whose fates had been intertwined in the first war who were still alive. There should have been four of them standing here. But Cagalli had loved Athrun too much to let him abandon her and had followed him into death by pulling the trigger herself, leaving them with two dead friends instead of one.

Silently Miriallia stepped forward, her eyes skimming the words she herself had written on the grave the two shared, since Athrun's body had never been recovered.

_In life they were always together, in love and anger. In death, they cannot be separated_.

Below lay pictures of the two smiling, laughing, loving. Two wonderful lives, a beautiful romance, gone. Fresh tears dripped won her cheeks as she gently dropped two roses on the fresh earth of the grave, saying her last goodbyes.

* * *

so there is the sad ending. next is the happy ending. fun fun.

And this makes 3 in a day! hurrah! And i'm 3/4 of the way done! Only 5 more! -yay-

xxravenwingxx


	17. Knock

Title: "Knock"

Theme: # 19 The Future Reflected in Your Eyes

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 461

Other Characters/Pairings: Kisaka

Author's Note: And here is your happy ending, for those of you who can't stand straight angst. It might not seem it at the beginning, because it is angsty fluff, but it is a happy ending. Hehehe.

* * *

Cagalli wept silently under the watchful eye of Kisaka, shoulders shaking in an attempt to escape his ever-watchful eyes. Why couldn't they just let her die in peace? She had nothing to live for now that Athrun was gone! 

_The barrel of the gun was pointed to her head, but still she hesitated to pull the trigger. What was she scared of? Death? Pain? Butterflies fluttered nervously in her stomach as she took a deep breath, gently squeezing her finger_

_"Don't!" a voice shouted. As Cagalli turned to glance, she was tackled from behind, the gun skidding out from her hand._

_She wrestled against the forcing pinning her wildly. "He's gone! He's gone and he's never coming back!" she screeched. "Let me go! _Let me go!_"_

Her own words haunted her even now. Why couldn't they have let her join Athrun in death? Why?

"Why what Miss Cagalli?" Kisaka asked suddenly.

Cagalli blinked through her tears. She hadn't realized she'd been talking out loud. She ignored Kisaka as he gently wiped away a stray tear, pausing as there was a knock on the door. He gave Cagalli a measuring gaze before answer the door. Cagalli didn't bother looking to see as Kisaka talked in hushed whispered with someone. She heard the door shut, staring blankly out the window at the clouds that floated across the sky.

Soft footsteps slowly paced over to her, stopping. She could feel eyes on her back. Finally, her temper snapped. "I'm fine, Kisaka. Okay?" she snapped whirling. "I—" Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't Kisaka who stood there, but Athrun. "A…Athrun?" she stammered. "Is that really you?"

He smiled wearily. His clothing was a bit worse for the wear, his hair looking as if it hadn't been washed in days. But even with all the grime, he was still perfect. "It's really me."

Cagalli's eyes filled again with tears, though this time they were tears of joy, as she launched herself at Athrun, clinging desperately to him as she sobbed. "You idiot! I thought you were dead!"

Athrun chuckled softly. "I had to pretend to be killed, and I couldn't let even you know. I'm so sorry. Kisaka…he told me what…what you tried to do…why?"

Cagalli sighed deeply. "I never really realized until I thought you were gone how much…how much I loved you."

Athrun's eyes widened momentarily before closing. "I love you too, and I'm glad you didn't succeed," he murmured as his eyes opened again. He gazed into her eyes, which gleamed with tears. But he could also see more there. There was also joy, relief, sorrow, anger, love…and hope, hope for a future together. Her eyes reflected what he himself hoped for as their lips gently met in a kiss.

* * *

so now thats 4 in a day. Go me. Only 4 more to go! -wow- and who knows, maybe I'll get those up too. You never know. 

xxravenwingxx


	18. Mirror

Title: Mirror

Theme: #3 Shards of Broken Dreams

Rating: PG

Word Count: 100

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: A bit of angst here. The theme just called me towards angst. I mean, I like angst, so naturally I'll latch it on this theme. Its from Athrun's point of view, if you really don't know that.

* * *

My fist lashes out, slamming violently into the mirror, shattering it into a million fragments. Shards of glass enter my hand, drawing blood. I can see my face, stained red with anger, reflected by those pieces where they're still partially intact. How could you? How could you even consider marrying that purple haired prat? I had thought there had been something between us, but was I mistaken? I had dreams and hopes of a future for us together. But now they are on the verge of falling and shattering. Can we really have anything when you did that? Can we?

* * *

And then there were 3. Only three left to type. hurrah! The end is in sight!

And this is number 5 for the day. I'm on a roll! -aka. i'm procrastinating on my evil mathematical induction homework. eeeevil- hehehe so hope you liked!

xxravenwingxx


	19. Wait

Title: Wait

Theme: #10 Faint Silhouette

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 100

Other Characters/Pairings: Kira; mention of Miriallia

Author's Note: I was really running out of ideas on this one. So don't ask where this came from. Maybe it was that new OP. dunno. But this is taking place in Destiny Phase 25. Never actually saw it, but I saw summaries and screenshots, so I'm sorry if I have things wrong.

* * *

"Athrun!" Cagalli called desperately as he slowly strode away towards Savior, barely hesitating at her words. "Athrun! Wait! Stop! I'm…I'm pregnant!"

That halted him in his tracks as he spun to stare at her in disbelief. "What?" he gasped.

Cagalli glanced guiltily at the ground. "I'm three months pregnant."

"But…" he stammered, looking from Cagalli to Kira to Miriallia and back again. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious," Kira responded for Cagalli as she turned away, embarrassed. "So now what are you going to do, Athrun?"

Athrun sighed, his eyes on Cagalli. The setting sun outlined her silhouette faintly. What to do?

* * *

bad ending, but i wanted it to only be 100 words, so oh well. and this makes 6 in a day, and 2 to go! hurrah!

xxravenwingxx


	20. Hero

Title: Hero

Theme: #13 Rhythm Emotion

Rating: PG

Word Count: 769

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: I love using song lyrics in my stories. Music just expresses so much more than words ever can, and lyrics are the perfect cross between words and music. The song is "Holding Out for a Hero" by Frou Frou. No, I didn't write it, though I would have liked to. But anyways.

* * *

"_Where have all the good men gone  
And where are all the gods?  
Where's the street-wise Hercules  
To fight the rising odds?  
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
Late at night toss and turn and dream of what I need…"_

Cagalli sighed, staring moodily out of her window at the gloomy, dark sky. It would rain anytime now, but she didn't care. She wanted to get out of this stupid office!

A crack of thunder signaled the beginning of the downpour, the rain pelting down to splatter in the stone courtyard two stories below. A fine mist sprayed inwards on her, a drop of cool relief on this extremely hot and humid day. To go or not to go?

Finally she jumped to her feet, leaving her uniform on the chair and changing into the sundress Athrun had insisted she keep here. Her heart gave a little pang of sorrow at the thought of him as she hurried down the hall and out into the rain.

_"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life…"_

The music drifted ever so faintly into the open courtyard as Cagalli stood in the rain, feeling its dampness on her upturned face. Her ears perked, catching the strain of noise barely over the drumming of the falling water droplets.

"_Somewhere after midnight  
In my wildest fantasy  
Somewhere just beyond my reach  
There's someone reaching back for me  
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet…"_

She smiled faintly at the words. She hoped there was someone out there who loved her as much as she loved him. Though this song could never refer to him. The man had abandoned her to go to the PLANTs! There was no way he could be a superman.

_"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life"_

She knew Athrun had had to go to the PLANTs, that he really hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. She was being pressured to marry Yuna now, that idiot. But she refused to yield for now. Athrun would come back. She knew he would.

_"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above  
Out where the lightning splits the sea  
I would swear that there's someone somewhere  
Watching me_

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
And the storm and the flood  
I can feel his approach  
Like the fire in my blood…"_

She smiled slightly, her spirits rising as the rain fell and the music continued. He wouldn't abandon her. There was too much between them for that now. Peace, understanding, trust, and love, among other things.

_"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life"_

She gently twirled to the music, eyes closed, arms out to keep her balance. Out here she was just another teenage girl with a love, and the freedom to dance in the rain if she so wished.

She had heard once that dancing in the rain could bring good luck. She wasn't sure how true that was, but she could still wish.

_"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life"_

A soft chuckle halted her performance as the music faded away. She turned, blinking at the figure that stood beneath an awning, out of the rain. "Athrun?"

* * *

wow. one more. -eek!- hehehe eek but nice. and this is like 7 in a day. might post the last today, might post later. we'll see...

xxravenwingxx


	21. Love

Title: Love

Theme: #8 The Little Things

Rating: PG

Word Count: 197

Other Characters/Pairings: None

Author's Note: Wow. This is the last of my 20 themes. I can't believe I've actually finished. But I'll be all nostalgic later. This is just a little blurb-let (don't know where that name came from) to kind of end my collection. Enjoy.

* * *

How can you tell when you're in love? Can you tell when butterflies violently invade your stomach? Can you tell from the cherry red blush that stains your cheeks? Or is it more than that? Is it large declarations that express love, or can it be found in the appreciation for the little things in life? Do a statement and a ring match up with a morning spent watching the sun rise? Are extravagant gifts and praise as important as spending a night chasing fireflies? Which truly shows love? I think I may know the answer.

The ring you gave me is something I cherish, for it reminds me of you. I remember all the declarations of affection over the years. But what I remember even more clearly are the little things. Skipping a day of work to go swimming. Laughing hysterically under the stars. The sound of your heartbeat besides mine. The night of the island.

I wear your ring just as you wear the pendant I gave you long ago. But they aren't our love, just reminders of all the little things that are part of this whirlwind called love that we're caught up in.

* * *

I'm done, at long last. I'm not quite sure when I started, but its only been like a month and a half to two months. And now I've finished all 20 themes.

I really, truly hope that you've enjoyed these. Some have been good, some have been bad, but all have tried to uphold some aspect of the AthrunxCagalli relationship, whether its the good or the bad.

I'd like to thank all my reviewers for being faithful. You guys really helped me to keep going when I felt like procrastinating. So thank you very much!

So thats the end of this. If you like the pairing DearkaxYzak, they're my next 20 themes challenge, so I'll hopefully be posting a collection for them sometime in the near future. Until later!

xxravenwingxx


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